BRIGHTON – There was no shortage of intensity between the Catholic Memorial and Pope Francis boys hockey teams Saturday night in their first meeting since the Knights edged the Cardinals in the Div. 1 state semifinals last year.
Not even overtime could determine a winner.
The two battled to a 2-2 tie at Warrior Ice Arena in an early matchup between perennial Div. 1 heavyweights, with Catholic Memorial (1-0-1) needing a two-goal rally to force overtime despite a heavy advantage in shots on goal.
Cardinals (1-0-1) goalie George Ramsey (36 saves) played tremendous to hold a lead heading into the third period, but the Knights took advantage of a power play early in the frame to eventually earn the tie.
Overall, it was a good result for Catholic Memorial early on in its Div. 1 state title defense.
“They’re a good team, they’re well-coached,” said Knights head coach Larry Rooney. “We knew it was going to be that way; we knew it was going to be a one-goal game, or a tie game. … Overall (pleased). We’re still figuring out who we are. We’re still figuring out where we can plug in some spots.”
Senior James Baker and junior Liam McKinney anchored a defensive effort that limited Pope Francis throughout, allowing just 18 shots on Jaxson Fleming (16 saves). That included just one shot in overtime, and five in each of the first two periods.
Pope Francis took advantage of rare chances in the first, though. Joe Chianciola batted a broken breakout attempt up for an odd-man rush midway through the frame, which Whitaker Zinger set up Thomas Connery on for the team’s first shot of the game and a 1-0 lead. CM continued to apply pressure with 15 shots in the frame, but Pope Francis held it off and doubled that lead right before the buzzer on a Matt Regan tip off a faceoff.
Ramsey continued to deny CM despite several strong looks. The Knights finally converted their first goal late in the second, as Will Robinson’s high feed from the right corner toward the far post deflected off a helmet into the net. Only five minutes and a power play later, they then tied it at 2-2 with 13:47 left, when Dan Antonellis tipped in a shot from McKinney from the point.
“I am very happy with how we responded in the second and third,” Rooney said. “That’s very important this early in the season. Especially against a team like that, they’re going to be there toward the end of the season as a top-five team in the state.”
It wasn’t even two minutes after the neutralizer that Pope Francis earned a prime opportunity to regain the lead with a five-minute power play. And after the Knights killed it off by allowing just one quality look on a rebound, they then needed to kill off another penalty over the last 1:59 of regulation to force overtime.
The penalty kill unit excelled in denying clean entry through the neutral zone the whole night, allowing just four shots on net across nine total penalty minutes.
“Probably was a difference maker in why it was a tie game,” Rooney said. “I’ll take that. During those situations, the goalie has to be the best PK guy. And he was for that one or two (quality) shots.”
The two will meet again this year, scheduled for Feb. 14 in Springfield.
